Safety pocket



' *7E/'edel W. Rl EDEL SAFETY POCKET Filed June 20, 1944 Sept. 1s, 1945.

Hlllllllllllll'lllllllllll muulluu Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY POCKET William Riedel, Lansdowne, Md.

- Application June 20, 1944, Serial No. 541,220

1 Claim.

This invention relates to safety pockets and more particularly to such pockets designed to prevent the theft or loss of articles contained therein.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a safety pocket which may be readily opened by the wearer thereof but which, upon an attempt to open the same by an unauthorized person, will present such difficulties as to attract the attention of the wearer.

An additional object is the provision of a safety pocket having interiorly disposed fastening means so arranged that access thereto will be difficult by anyone except the wearer of the garment-l containing the pocket.

A still further object is the provision of a securing means including a flap and a fastener so arranged that the fastener may only be released by exerting a tilting action thereon by the insertion of fingers into the pocket below the flap, and a direct pull on the fastening means from the exterior of the garment will not serve to release the same. Y

A more specific object is the provision of a fastener for such a pocket provided with a relatively long shank portion whereby to facilitate the insertion of the fingers of the wearer thereof under the fiap to tilt the portion of the fastener secured to the flap to open the same as desired.

Additional objects reside in the provision of a reinforced safety pocket of durable and wearresistant construction, provided with a ap and securing means associated therewith, whereby inadvertent or felonious removal of the contents is rendered exceedingly diliicult.

Additional objects also reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a pocket in accordance with the instant invention, certain parts thereof being cut away and certain other parts being indicated in dotted lines, and

Figure 2 is a side sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure l as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows, certain parts being shown partially in elevation.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In the drawing, the pocket is shown as comprised of a rear wall I0, which may comprise a portion of the garment to which the pocket is attached, and a front wall I I secured as by stitching I2 along its bottom and sides to rear wall I0. The upper portion of front Wall II is downwardly turned as at I3 to provide a wear-resistant reinforcing member and a ap I5 which may be comprised of -heavyfabric, leather or the like is secured to wall II, at a point adjacent its upper extremity, as by stitching I6 passed through the top of wall II and downwardly extending portion I3.

Secured to a mid-point adjacent the lower edge of flap I5 is a portion of a snap fastener generally indicated at I'I. Portion I'I is comprised of a disklike member I8 having an inwardly turned iiange I9 adapted to form an interior recess, and projecting prongs 20 having points 2I adapted to be passed through the fabric or other material of flap I5, and a second disk 22 having recesses therethrough adapted to be placed on the opposite side of fiap I5, the recesses being in registry with the points 2|. Points 2| are passed through the recesses and bent over to hold the two disks in relatively tight related assembly in position on flap I 5. A centrally disposed aperture 23 in disk I8 is adapted forthe engagement of an opposite portion of the fastener, to be discussed hereinafter. Positioned within the interior recess between the outer edge of disk I8 and ap I5 is a spring 24 comprised of a resilient member looped about a stud 25 on the interior of disk I8 and having opposite arms passing on opposite sides of aperture 23, and resiliently separable ends 26 disposed on the side of aperture 23 away from stud 25.

An opposite portion of the snap fastener generally indicated at 30 is comprised of a button head 3I and a relatively long shank 32, a groove 33 being formed between the head and the shank. Shank 32 is expanded outwardly into a disk-like portion 34 provided with pointed projections 35. Projections 35 are passed through a strip of reinforcing material 36 and inwardly turned to hold portion 30 in secured related assembly therewith. Reinforcing strip 36 is then secured as by stitching 31, or in any other desired manner, to rear wall I0 of the pocket, and so positioned that button head 3| is adapted to pass into aperture 23 between the arms of spring 24 which are spread apart by the head, and seat themselves in grooves 33 to offer resistance to the disengagement of the parts of the snap fastener. It Will be seen that a tilting action of portion I'I tends to disengage resilient ends 26 relatively easily, while a direct pull outwardly on portion I'l presents material resistance to the disengagement of head 3I from spring 24,

From the foregoing the operation of the device should now be readily understandable. A Wallet or other article is positioned in the pocket and portions l1 and 30 of the snap fastener pressed together until spring 24 is seated in recess 33. When access to the interior of the pocket is desired, the wearer thereof merely inserts his fmgers, passing one on each side of shank 32 and tilts ap I5 upwardly and inwardly until disengagement of the snap is achieved, whereupon the contents of the pocket may be readily removed. The flap vl5 and snap fastener preclude the accidental displacement Aof articles positioned in the pocket. Likewise, if an unauthorized person attempts to remove the contents of the pocket the eiort required to tilt portion I1 of the fastener will exert a pressure on the adjacent portion :of the body of the wearer suiiicient to attract his attention to the fact that the pocket is being tampered with.

I'he construction is primarily designed for use in connection with a hip pocket of a'pair of trousers but it will be apparent that it may be advantageously utilized in connection with any pocket whatsoever. It will now be seen that there is herein provided an article accomplishing all the objects of this invention and others including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many modications may be made in this inventive concept, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore shown or described is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In a safety pocket, an inner wall, an outer wall, a reinforcing strip secured at an interior point to said inner wall, a portion of ra snap fastener comprising a flange, an extending shank and a button headat the end of said shank, secured to said reinforcing strip, a flapsecured to the top of said outer wall and extending downwardly a substantialdistance into said pocket, and a second portion of the snap fastener comprised of a recessed ange member containing a spring adapted to engage said button head on said first-mentioned portion secured to said ap, the arrangement being such that said second portion must be tilted with respect to said first portion by a pull on the lower end of said ap to permit said portion to disengage.

WILLIAM RIEDEL. 

